According to a recent report, on-premise drinks sales have returned to above-inflation growth after a challenging start to 2025.

Mid-January saw a 5% dip in sales following bad weather and storms, and that was followed by a year-on-year drop of 2% in the first full week of February. Trading then worsened again in the seven days to Saturday 15 February, finishing 11% behind the equivalent week in 2024. This suggests Valentine’s Day did not deliver the big boost to drinks sales that venues and suppliers had been hoping for.

The tracker report highlighted double-digit declines in sales of spirits (down 18%), soft drinks (down 19%) and cider (down 11%), though beer and wine (both down 7%) were slightly more resilient.

However, sales then bounced back in the following week to Saturday 22 February, with year-on-year growth of 4% marking the second positive week in 2025 so far. Trading beat the levels of last year on six of the seven days, and was ahead by between 8% and 11% every day between Monday and Thursday (17 to 20 February).

It is a welcome sign of increased spending in on-premise drinks, though the period benefited from comparison with a week of poor weather in February 2024.

There was a reversal of fortunes for most drinks categories over the week, with soft drinks growth particularly strong at 13%. Wine (up 7%), beer (up 4%) and cider (up 3%) were all ahead as well, but spirits (down 8%) had another negative week.

Rachel Weller, CGA by NIQ’s commercial lead, UK & Ireland, said:

“Pressure on disposable incomes, storms and 'Dry January' have made it a difficult start to the year for some on-premise venues and suppliers, but mid-February’s revival brings some welcome relief.

February’s fluctuations emphasise the volatility of the trading landscape at the moment, and many consumers are clearly still hesitant about spending.

It remains to be seen whether this is the prelude to a more positive spring or just a brief respite.”